Keating prefers dialog path to rights solution
Keating prefers dialog path to rights solution
JAKARTA (JP): Australia will not adopt a foreign policy of
shunning its neighbors in an effort to advance human rights in
the region, but will follow a path of dialog and confidence
building.
Australian Prime Minister Paul Keating strongly advocated this
approach in Brisbane on Wednesday during a speech in which he
argued that confrontational tactics were less effective than
diplomatic dialog.
"We will get much further in advancing human rights by talking
to our neighbors than by shunning them," Keating said while
addressing the Asia-Australia Institute.
He contended that Australia's approach of making human rights
part of a broad based relationship would be more fruitful and
allow a free and open discussion about each nation's individual
differences.
Keating said Australia's neighbors often subscribe to a
different standards in their application of human rights.
He explained that the variables may arise out of the many
levels of political and economic development, or could come from
the belief that the good of society at large is more important
than the rights of the individual.
However, Keating acknowledged that sometimes there was an
obvious abuse of human rights, which is a drawback by any
standards.
"Picking our way through this moral thicket is one of the most
difficult things we have to do," he said in a speech obtained by
The Jakarta Post yesterday.
Despite adopting a softer approach to the human rights issue,
Keating directed stern words at doubters questioning Australia's
commitment to this issue.
"This sense of human rights is intrinsic in our sense of
ourselves," he remarked.
The prime minister noted that there can be no argument
whatsoever on accepting the universality of human rights, but the
difficult task is "deciding how to apply our own beliefs in the
international arena."
The government of Paul Keating has often come under severe
criticism both at home and from non-governmental organizations
(NGOs) abroad for his lax approach in dealing with alleged human
rights abuses to by his neighbors to the north.
Condemned
Many have condemned Keating's approach as sacrificing human
rights for the sake of Australia's commercial and security ties
with his Asian neighbors.
Though Keating did not identify specific countries in his
discussion of human rights, he did make it a point of mentioning
the importance of Indonesia to his country.
"In Southeast Asia, our core relationship is with Indonesia.
As I have said many times, no country is more important to us,"
Keating said while expressing his satisfaction at the broadening
of relations in the past couple of years.
The prime minister further touted relations between the two
countries when he said, "neither Australia nor Indonesia has
designs on the other and our strategic interests in the broader
region are similar." (mds)